


Physicality

by scurvaliciousbay



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Awkward Flirting, F/M, Fluff, Jaal You Smooth Bastard, Pre-Romance, Vanguard Ryder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-21 01:23:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10674810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scurvaliciousbay/pseuds/scurvaliciousbay
Summary: Ryder is ripped and Jaal Greatly Approves





	Physicality

Cora enjoyed physical training, Jaal knew. She was one of the first of the human crew to wake from her sleeping cycle and she usually stuck to a rigid routine. He saw her frequently doing push-ups, sit-ups, and a dozen other activities that got her moving. It was admittedly a nice show. When he asked her why she was so diligent in her routines, she said that it helped with her biotics. That made some sense except he never saw Ryder doing these things, and he was fairly certain that she and Cora used their biotics similarly. They both hurled their bodies into battle, a great comet of blue streaking across the field to slam into opponents, tossing them backwards and sometimes outright killing them. A brilliant show overall, and so it made sense that Cora would keep her physical prowess to support that tactic. But Ryder…hm, she was different.

Aboard the Tempest, Ryder was much smaller in a way. Her boots apparently gave her two inches of height in the field and her armor was large enough to disguise her smaller form. She wore soft, subdued clothes so he didn’t see her body nearly as much as Cora’s. Cora liked to wear what was apparently called a Sports Bra and Shorts when she trained, showing much of her skin. It was…educational.

Liam also trained, though differently from Cora since he didn’t have biotics. After several weeks of seeing Liam, Cora, and even occasionally Gil join in on the training, Jaal grew curious about Ryder. She must train, she was an excellent combatant in battle, better, he would argue, than either Cora or Liam. Not to say they were bad, but Ryder was…exceptional.

It wasn’t until he accidentally stayed up into his sleep cycle, working on dissembling a new Kett shotgun variation, that he discovered that Ryder simply preferred to train when no one was awake. Except for perhaps Kallo, but Jaal wasn’t entirely sure if Salarians slept at all, the man was always awake.

He needed one of the larger pliers Vetra had stowed away by the Nomad when he saw her below. She was wearing The Sports Bra and the Shorts like Cora but oh it was _very_ different from Cora. Cora, for all her strength, was a slight woman, almost Angara-like, with smooth muscle. But Ryder…she was…different. Even more alien to him, and much to his surprise, or not surprise by that point, he found he liked that. Her arms were thick, corded with straining muscle as she flexed her arms, bringing the weight closer to her.

Her body was robust, he believed, for human women. With thick thighs, a round derriere, and a broad back that moved so smoothly and elegantly with her visible musculature. She twisted and turned and moved like she did in the field but now he saw how she _really_ moved and he in turn was moved. It was…beautiful. Her skin shimmered under the lights of the cargo pit and her hair bounced, as did…other parts of her. The Sports Bra was apparently flawed in some ways, but it did not slow Ryder.

While still smaller compared to the Angara, Ryder was by no means a slight or small or frail woman. Oh no, she was _strong_ and present and he stood corrected. Cora was not the best in physical shape aboard the Tempest, Ryder was.

He was still admiring her form when she turned around in her exercise and looked up. She stopped and her face turned a shocking shade of red.

“Jaal, hi,” she said, her voice seeming to waver even through the translator.

“Hello, Ryder.”

“Whatcha doing? You’re…usually sleeping…by now. Oh that sounded creepy.”

“Yes but I stayed up to work on a project. You are also awake…and training.”

“Yeah, um. I don’t really like to train with the others…feels weird, you know?”

“No, the Angara view physical training as an important bonding exercise, especially in the resistance.”

“Ooh,” she stopped speaking and looked away from him like she did when she didn’t know what to say next. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

“You are in excellent condition,” he complimented, trying to ease her discomfort. Perhaps she was self-conscious about her body…though he couldn’t understand why she would be.

“Ooh, thanks, um,” the red in her face deepened and she looked down at the floor. Bashfulness. Interesting.

“Why don’t you train with the others? You obviously gifted and in…perfect form.”

Her hands came to her mouth and she didn’t meet his eyes but he didn’t think it was out of offense. Anger was one of the few emotions, he had noticed, that Ryder did not hide. She whispered something that he couldn’t understand before looking back up to him.

“You are…the prettiest Angara I’ve met?” She said, and he felt the blood rush into his frill. That was…she…oh, this must be close to what she was feeling then. Ah. But she didn’t know how to handle it.

Jaal smiled and leaned over the banister.

“It’s the scar, isn’t it? Liam said Milky Way women find scars irresistible.”

“Most of the women he’s talking about are krogan but uh…a bit, yeah.”

“Thank you, I got it fighting kett. My mothers were very worried.”

“I’d be too, it looks like it was deep – like it bled a lot.”

“It did. I needed a transfusion but…perhaps it was worth it to be the Prettiest Angara Ryder has ever met.” He chuckled and she turned red again but she was smiling. A real smile, he thought, too. And it was stunning.

“If you would like to train with me, Ryder, I could show you a few Angara tips to fight the kett.” He offered. She perked up at that and nodded.

“Yeah, I’d…like that. I can show you some hand-to-hand you can use against any outlaws we stumble across too.”

He smiled and nodded, “We have a plan.”

“Havarl, ETA, 3 hours,” SAM broadcasted and Ryder groaned.

“Right, sleep. You should get some too, Jaal, since you’ll be with me on Havarl.”

“I will save the gun for another day then. Stay strong and clear, Ryder.”

She smiled up at him and inclined her head, “Sleep well, big guy.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this! I'm still getting the hang of Jaal's voice. Anyways, this is based on my Vanguard who romanced Jaal, Erika. Please leave kudos, comments, bookmark - let me know what you think! This was cross-posted to my tumblr at scurvgirl.


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